Golf And The Haimish Line

Steve Tanner feeds off a recent David Brooks column where the NY Times scribe defines haimish as “a Yiddish word that suggests warmth, domesticity and unpretentious conviviality.” 

Tanner looks at a few of the hot-button issues in the game and praises the PGA of America for their more open social media stance (but editing transcripts to avoid certain topics is a huge no-no). And there's this about Commissioner Tim Finchem's $100 million First Tee push.

Since 1997, The First Tee has been the sole junior golf organization supported by the golf industry and it operates on a $13 million annual budget.  And yet, despite The First Tee’s claim that they’ve had 4.7 million participants, there are less kids playing golf in the U.S. today than there were the day it was founded.  (2.8 million in 1995 vs. 2.5 million in 2010 - National Golf Foundation data.)  Instead of opening their doors and offering support/resources to other youth programs, industry leaders are doubling down on their single all-in bet.  That, to me, is a decision made from the wrong side of the haimish line.